Player decoding or Receiver decoding, that is the question

[BIslander]

Comments in red. . Also, as you are using a soundbar rather than a 5.1 surround system, it may not matter much whether the source is discrete 5.1 or stereo. My comments are written to differentiate between stereo and true 5.1.

Originally Posted by cpemploy

My TV can send PCM, Dolby Digital or DTS via toslink or analog cables (no hdmi option) to my Vizio VHT510 soundbar. My questions are:
1. For the best sound which should I select, PCM, Dolby digital or DTS? What TV do you have that sends DTS? That's very rare. But, as there are no TV sources with DTS, it's usually a non-issue. What do you have attached to to your TV that would have DTS as an audio option?
The digital audio output of TVs is limited to the S/PDIF protocol, which limits PCM to just two channels. So, you would want to use either DD 5.1 or DTS because they offer discrete 5.1.
2. What are the advantages of one over the other?
3. What output should i use toslink or analog? Is there a big difference? Analog is just stereo, one cable for the left Chanel and the other for the right. So, Toslink is the way to go.

I have also seen the following comments, some of which are contradictory, can you comment on these?
1. Select PCM as this sends more data to the reciver, if you select DD or DTS they are compressed and you lose data True, but out of context. First, PCM over optical is only stereo. Second, DD 5.1 and DTS use data compression and work sort of like zip files. Much of the data removed during encoding is restored during decoding. Bottom line: if you want discrete 5.1 from your TV, you cannot use PCM.
2. If you select PCM and use toslink you only get 2 channel and not 5, (although I am getting surround with my toslink) If you are sending PCM and get surround sound, it's because you are applying a surround mode in your receiver, something like ProLogic II, which expands stereo sources to 5.1. It's not discrete 5.1, although it can sound very good. Of course, your soundbar likely creates some sort of surround regardless of the source. The difference between stereo and 5.1 is much more apparent with a real surround system.
3. If you select PCM and use analog you get 5 channel Not on a TV. You would need a source such as a Blu-ray player with six analog outputs, one for each of the six channels. TVs only have analog stereo, at best. Many TVs don't even offer any analog outputs these days. Does yours?
4. choose dd is better
5. choose DTS it is better That's an old debate, pretty much resolved over time that they sound very much alike. But, you won't have the ability to choose because you have to play the type that's on the source. HD TV signals are broadcast in DD 5.1. SD comes in stereo PCM. No broadcasts are done in DTS. But the question for you again: what sources are you feeding through your TV? It should only be TV signals originating from the set's tuner and Smart TV apps. Audio for everything else would usually go direct to the sound bar rather than being routed through the TV.